‘Abyantara Kuttavali’ Movie Review: Unilateral Pamphlet against one -sided section 498A

Still from ‘Abyantara Kuttavali’

The way a filmmaker imagines a single sequence, he can sometimes reveal the entire idea process behind the film. This is especially true like single-aged films Abyantara Kutatavali, First direction of Sethunath Padmakumar. Sahadevan (Asif Ali), a hero, who is facing a case under Section 498A on dowry harassment and domestic misconduct, has shown his wife’s family returning to 100 sovereign gold sovereigntes, which he found as a “gift”, which is a modern day expression to the dovery. An passionate background score is accompanied by this sequence, which is completely implicated from the man’s point of view, although he was earlier shown that he had denied his wife’s demand for a part of gold to fund his higher education. Even this demand on its part seems unjustly the way the film sees it.

This sequence fits well with the rest of the film which is an emotional story of “afflicted” men by Section 498A. So far, we have such movies, a number in a number of important number of films to call them as a universe, it is important to proudly carry the flag of men’s rights unions. In most of these films, the nuances have been shown the way out, welcomed the bias through the same door.

Although it is true that cases of misuse of laws to frame their husbands and claim alimony have been reported, the number of such cases in Kerala is also minimal compared to the actual matters of domestic misconduct and dowry harassment even in recent years. Still, in the world Abyantatra kuttavaliMen of all ages are at mercy of this law. To convince us, the film gives us three case studies, including Sahadevan’s central one.

Now, a good number of allegations against Sahadevan, like one related to domestic misconduct, is shown to be fake, which may reflect of real -life examples. Family court lawyers sometimes make such claims to extend their side case. The problem arises when the film normalizes the case and gives the hero an opportunity to make two long preaching speeches inside a court, emphasizing how this law has made life hell for men. The accused man will have to give this speech because the female advocate (Shreya Rukmini), who is representing her, is very afraid to talk in the court.

By some sheer coincidence, this lack of voice is a common suffering of all female characters in the film, due to which we rarely know what any of them think. Even Sahadevan’s wife Naina (Thulasi Haridas) receives only a small monopoly towards the end of the film. By the time she gets to speak, the agenda has been well determined that the manufacturers seem to be balanced and weak efforts to achieve some progressive brownie points. Even Asif Ali’s natural nature in emotional scenes cannot partially lift this film, as it comes in the service of a regressive idea.

The only protection, perhaps, is that the film’s intention to spread such ideas is not specifically well made, with television soaps with treatment.

Aabhyanthara kuttavaali is currently operating in theaters